2003 S.P. Drummer Cabernet

I stopped at HMB Wine & Cheese today and tried the two current releases by Scott Peterson, owner of the S.P. Drummer labal. His flagship wine is a blend of Cabernet and Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. A newer wine is a Merlot blend from Sonoma County. I tasted both of these wines, and they were quite good! Scott Peterson (no, not the famous one) was there also, and he has a deep background in crafting wines from California, having worked at Kendall Jackson, Villa Mt. Eden and Conn Creek.

The 2003 Cabernet is a dark, deep-colored, viscous wine with good complexity that should develop nicely for several years. It is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged for 18 months in French Oak and should benefit from a few more years in storage in the bottle. The wine sells for $52, and I will give it a rating of 90. Only 938 cases were made.

The 2002 Merlot blend is also a very nice wine, with excellent color and complexity with a smooth finish, a big wine for a Merlot.